


Matthew (Pride and Joy)

by theladyscribe



Series: Hockey WIP Amnesty [4]
Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: Abandoned Work - Unfinished and Discontinued, M/M, Pittsburgh Penguins, baby acquisition
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-31
Updated: 2017-10-31
Packaged: 2019-01-27 01:19:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,885
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12570488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theladyscribe/pseuds/theladyscribe
Summary: It maybe shouldn't have come as a shock to Sid when Taylor asks him to take custody of her little boy, three months before he's born. It makes sense: he's just retired, she wants to keep playing. He has more than enough time and money and love to give to his little sister's kid. Of course he says yes.





	Matthew (Pride and Joy)

**Author's Note:**

> This is another WIP I'm never going to finish. A bit handwavey on the adoption/custody process. Please enjoy the anachronisms of a fic written in 2015 and not posted until 2017.
> 
> Title inspired by "Matthew" by John Denver.

It's not like anybody _planned_ this. Certainly not Taylor, who spends a not insignificant portion of her pregnancy crying and worrying in Sid's arms. She's still young, very much in the prime of her career, and they spend a lot of time talking through the loss of an entire season due to medical reasons. It maybe shouldn't have come as a shock to Sid when she asks him to take custody of her little boy, three months before he's born. It makes sense: he's just retired, she wants to keep playing. He has more than enough time and money and love to give to his little sister's kid. Of course he says yes.

The news breaks, probably due to another patient seeing them in the hospital where Taylor gives birth. It's not a big deal, really, but Sid was hoping they could keep it quiet for a little while at least, have some time to settle. As it is, they basically have to sneak Taylor and Sid and tiny, precious Matthew out through the geriatrics ward.

They go home to the lake house, where they spend the next several weeks in a haze of alternating joy and exhaustion. Mom comes to help, but she's insistent that she is only staying for a few days to help them get used to the routine.

Taylor spends a lot of time singing off-key to Matthew, holding him close and rocking him. Sid wonders if she's going to change her mind about granting him custody — he wouldn't blame her if she did — but one morning at breakfast she says, "I had Joseph draw up the paperwork for transferring custody. He said we can come by any time to sign."

Sid tries to read into her voice, to see if maybe she's only telling him because she feels like she has to, but Taylor's voice is firm and calm. She must really be serious. He asks, just to be certain, anyway.

"You really want to do this? I mean, I'm not gonna keep him from you or anything, but you could keep custody and I can raise him. I don't mind."

Taylor shakes her head and smiles. "I'm sure, Squid. I've had a lot of time to think about it, and I'm one hundred percent sure. You're gonna be a great dad."

Sid can't keep the blush from his face. "You think so?"

Taylor rolls her eyes. "The best."

They sign the papers that afternoon.

*

Even though Sid is officially retired, he still has obligations to fulfill with the Penguins, so when Matthew is three months old, the two of them — Sid and Matty — head south to Pittsburgh. Sid is nervous about it; he hasn't seen anyone from the team, hasn't made any official appearances, since Matthew was born. He's gotten congratulations from nearly everyone he's played with and sent photos to Flower and Duper and Tanger and Geno, who answered back with a string of eyeless smilies. He's looking forward to introducing Matthew to all of them, but he still feels strange about the abrupt way he retired and how the team is going to interact with him in person as opposed to via text.

Before that can happen, though, he has to baby-proof his house in Pittsburgh, which ultimately involves dropping Matthew off with the Lemieuxs for a few hours while he installs outlet covers and bumpers.

Sid's not expecting anyone, so it's a bit of a shock when the doorbell rings as he adds bumpers to his glass coffee table. He's on his way into the hall when he hears, "Sid?"

"Hey, Geno," he says as he turns the corner. Geno looks good, like the summer has been really good to him, and it takes Sid a moment to realize that he's holding a gift bag in one hand.

"Where's Matty?" Geno asks, peering over Sid's shoulder like he's expecting to find Matty crawling along behind him.

"Across the street at the Lemieuxs'," Sid answers. "Needed to get some stuff done here, and it's easier without him under foot."

Geno nods seriously. "I'm bring present."

"I see. Let me just-- I'm almost done, and then we can get Matty, and we can catch up?"

"Okay. I'm help?"

Geno, it turns out, is terrible at putting on baby bumpers but pretty good at finding all of the easily-reached electrical outlets in a room, so Sid gives him the task of putting covers on all of the unused outlets he can find. It still takes another hour of work to satisfy Sid, but they finally finish the first floor, his bedroom, and the nursery. The rest of the house will wait for another day.

They didn't talk much during the process, and Geno still doesn't seem overly inclined to start a conversation as they walk over to the Lemieuxs', pick up Matthew, and politely decline dinner. Matthew is fast asleep and barely stirs as Sid straps him into his carrier, and the three of them go back to his place. Geno shadows Sid through the house, watching quietly as Sid lays Matthew down in his crib and following Sid into the kitchen afterward.

"You hungry?" Sid asks. "Think I might order some pizza."

"How is Taylor?" Geno finally asks after Sid has ordered the pizza and it's on its way.

"She's good," Sid says, and it's true. She checks in with him at least once a week, skyping so she can see Matthew's progress even if she isn't there in person.

"But she really give up Matthew?" And there it is, the half-question, half-accusation Sid has been dreading since news about his custody got out.

"Yes, she did," Sid answers, "and it was the right decision for her."

Geno holds his hands up, placating. "I'm not mean to say-- I'm glad she's good, Sid."

*

Sid brings Matthew to a closed session of training camp to meet the team. They watch practice from the stands, and it's strange but good to see Geno taking point, everyone deferring to him. Sid suspects they'll give him the C before camp ends. Matthew sleeps through practice, and afterward, the two of them follow the team to the locker room, where Matthew is the star of the show.

The new guys hang back at first, but the vets — Tanger, Beau, Geno — all crowd around Sid. Matthew is half-awake, fussing a little because he's getting hungry. They don't stay long; Matthew will get fussier the longer Sid waits to feed him and besides, the guys have things to do Sid is sure. He makes their goodbyes and promises to stop by again another day, and they go.

*

[something something lots of slow burn w/Geno, melancholy tone, etc. which brings us to the end of the season...]

*

It's May, and the Penguins are out of the playoffs in the second round. It hasn't been an easy season. In his darker moments, Sid wonders if he made a mistake, if he should have stayed a little longer. He knows he probably couldn't have made much of a difference, not really, but the guilt still eats at him.

At least he has a distraction, though. Matthew is about to turn a year old, and Sid has been planning a party.

The lack of distractions for his former teammates might explain why Geno has designated himself co-organizer for Matthew's party. He comes over nearly every day, ostensibly to help with logistics, though Sid has noticed that he spends a lot of his time taking Matthew from Sid so _he_ can make all of the phone calls. Sid doesn't really mind, glad for the help and happy that Matthew can pull Geno out of his own head even just for a little while.

Geno doesn't always stay for dinner, but tonight he does. Sid puts Matthew to bed, and is a little surprised to find Geno still downstairs, pacing in the living room.

"You want a beer, G?"

Geno startles, licks his lips. He starts to shake his head 'no,' but visibly changes his mind. "Okay."

Sid grabs beers from the fridge and nudges Geno out to the back terrace. They sit in silence for a while, Sid waiting Geno out, and Geno presumably working himself up to saying whatever is on his mind.

Sid is about to give it up as a bust when Geno says, "How you know you make right choice? Give up game, take care of Matthew?"

It's the million dollar question, the one Sid has been asking himself for a year, since he made his announcement after they lost in the first round in four games. He's asked himself that same question almost every day, and there's really only one answer.

"I don't," he says. "But I can't change it; I wouldn't, not now."

Sid slides his gaze from his beer bottle over to Geno. His face is in sharp relief, lit from one side by the setting sun. It makes him unreadable. It also makes his playoff weight loss that much more obvious, his features thin bordering on haggard. Sid has the sudden urge to dig the leftovers back out of the fridge. It's a ridiculous desire, not least for the fact that he knows Geno will gain his weight back as soon as he goes home to Russia.

"What?" Geno asks, and Sid realizes he's been staring.

"Nothing," Sid says. "Lost in thought."

Geno licks his lips again, and Sid's eye is drawn to the action.

"Sid?"

"Stop me if you--" He doesn't finish his sentence, pressing his mouth against Geno's. Geno's breath hitches, but he kisses back, a warm hand at the bend of Sid's hip.

They might have stayed there for hours, but they're interrupted by a wail from the baby monitor. Matthew, most likely in need of a diaper change. Sid presses another quick kiss to Geno's lips, stands, and heads back inside to check on his boy.

When he comes back, Geno is gone.

Sid doesn't—he doesn't know what to do. Should he call? Apologize? Take Matthew over to the Lemieuxs and go after him? He doesn't, he can't—

He collapses onto the porch swing with his head in his hands, terrified he's ruined a nearly twenty-year friendship with one fell swoop.

*

Sidney avoids practices for the next several days, taking Matthew to see other parts of Pittsburgh instead. They go to the zoo and to Frick Park. Sid even braves the Duquesne Incline, armed with a low-billed Steelers cap and a Sharpie just in case. The only person who asks him to sign anything is the booth attendant, and even then it's just the credit card receipt.

Sid can't avoid CONSOL forever, though, so on Monday he finds himself walking into the front office and right into Geno. Geno steadies him, but doesn't look directly at him, staring down at the top of Matthew's head, the baby fast asleep and listing to one side of the Babybjörn.

"Hi, baby," Geno says, moving to brush Matty's head but aborting the attempt halfway through. He glances up at last, meeting Sidney's eyes. "Hi, Sid."

"I have a meeting," Sidney says, knowing he's terse, bordering on rude, but not entirely sure he cares. Geno nods and lets him go. Sid feels the weight of his stare the entire way.


End file.
